Friend of Ours
by Beckett Simpleton
Summary: Artemis, tired of Opal endangering his family, enrols in an act of chivalry. T for character death. Two-Shot. I am not a shipper! No flames on the pairing!
1. Love You Mate

**Friend of Ours**

**Yeah, for those of you who know (looking at you TTA77) Friend of Ours is a song by Elbow so naturally, it's the soundtrack. This is gonna be so angst-y I'M GONNA CRY! Well, maybe not **_**that**_** sad. But still sad!**

'**Love you, mate.' Elbow, 'Friend of Ours'**

'**Fell in your opinion when I fell in love with you.' Florence + the Machine 'Falling'**

"Artemis!" Holly leaned over the edge of Koboi Labs roof, bile rising in her throat. She'd just watched her friend fall, no _jump, _off the building. Holly hadn't taken him seriously when he said that he'd sacrifice himself. This was Artemis Fowl. He didn't do anything if there was nothing in his end of the deal. And there was _nothing _in jumping off Koboi Labs. Nothing!

Holly watched her friend topple off the huge building. _He'll die underground. Not under the stars. He'll never see the stars again. Or the sun. Or daylight. His family. Friends. Butler. _Holly had to stop herself when the tears came to her eyes and plummeted after her friend.

_I wonder if he's still awake. If he's thinking at all. _Holly wanted to snort. Of course he was thinking. He was Artemis Fowl. The boy who never _stopped _thinking. But who would be thinking about? Her? She didn't know if that would be a good thing or a bad one. Because if he was thinking about her in his final moments, it meant he really cared, but in reality, he was probably thinking about his mother, or Butler, Beckett, Myles, his father. Not her. Not Foaly, Number One, Mulch. He was a human boy with human thoughts.

Why was _she _even thinking this? Was she so selfish, that she wanted him to think of her over his family? Holly frowned and wiped her eyes on the back of her hand. Deciding that she didn't want to see him hit the ground, broken and pale, she leaned back and walked away from the edge of the building to the centre, where she felt safer. As if she were scared that if she stood on the edge, she'd throw herself off after him.

At this thought, Holly turned and ran, full pelt to the edge of the building and launched her self off after her fallen friend. She knew she'd never catch him in her heart, but she felt like she was abandoning him if she didn't at least _try._

She plummeted in free-fall for about five stories and then unfurled her Hummingbird wings and made herself a javelin, racing after Artemis. She was meters from him when air resistance caught under his jacket caused him to flip so that he was facing her. His eyes were closed, not a frown line in sight. He looked oddly peaceful. She was reaching for him, her hands scrabbling and trying to get a hold on his jacket lapels, when he opened his eyes and gave her, of all things, a small, almost _sincere _looking smile.

"Artemis!"

Being underground, there was no wind to catch her words and they probably reached Artemis' ears. And they clearly did he whispered something incomprehensible to her which just pained her even more.

"What, Artemis," yelled Holly, "what did you say?"

Artemis just smiled at her again and closed his eyes as he braced his eyes for the ground.

Sure enough, the ground came up, stopping the slow motion that their fall had seemed to be in.

Holly quickly swung herself into a almost horizontal position and her wings slowed her down dramatically but the ground seemed to rise up to Artemis, to stop his falling before it was due.

Holly felt her tears come thicker, faster as she watched Artemis hit the ground. It wasn't nearly as graceful as the fall, he slammed into the dirt floor, head lurching forward oddly and Holly supposed that he'd broken his neck, not to mention his spine.

Holly's feet touched the ground lightly and the moment that her feet felt safe on the floor, she was running the short distance to Artemis, laying limp on his side.

"Artemis?" she whispered to her friend, rolling him onto his back. Artemis was still wearing that stupid coy smile. Why was he smiling? Didn't he understand the pain it was causing? It made it seem that he was _happy _in death.

"Holly?"

Holly's eyes opened wider than it seemed possible when he spoke. Holly would have imagined his voice to be husky or weak, like it came out in movies, but Artemis spoke clearly, as if he weren't in ridiculous pain. As if he weren't dieing.

"Artemis, I can heal you! I can heal you if you let me," Holly sobbed into Artemis' chest. He smiled wider.

"Wouldn't that completely defeat the point, Holly?"

Holly screamed with the sheer disbelief of it all. "Artemis! Please! You're being ridiculous!"

Artemis closed his eyes and his smile shrank back into that, horribly tempting coy smirk that it had been before. "I am not. I'm being, what was the word? Chivalrous?"

Holly didn't smile. She had to know.

"What were you thinking about! When you fell. Who? Tell me, Arty, please!"

Artemis didn't seem to think on the answer at all. "You."

"No! Don't! Think of, I don't know, Angeline, Myles, Butler! Just not me! Please! Arty please…"

Artemis didn't reply, just sighed deeply."

"Artemis! You're not listening!"

The boy remained silent. Holly forced herself to believe that he was being ignorant, not that breath had failed him.

"Artemis…?"

Holly sighed and pulled her human friend into her arms.

"Love you, mate."

'**Because falling's not the problem, when I'm falling I'm at peace. It's only when I hit the ground that causes all the grief…'**

**There. If that's not angst, I don't know what is! This is not finished! So if one of you whines that you don't know what's going on I will personally do something ever so slightly horrible to you. =) **


	2. I'm Not Scared to Fall

**Friend of Ours**

**Here's chapter two. It's going to explain everything to you, don't worry. Oh and I repeated 'eye' instead of 'self' in the first chapter, didn't I? I'm too lazy to fix it now. **

**Soundtrack for this chapter is 'Falling' by Florence + the Machine**

'**Sometimes I wish for falling, wish for the release. Wish for falling through the air to give me some relief.' Florence + the Machine 'Falling.'**

'**Never very good at goodbyes…" Elbow 'Friend of Ours.'**

I am so sick and tired of that ridiculous pixie! Who does she think she is? Empress? Oh no wait, she _does _think she's empress. Urgh! She is so full of her self! And it's amazing how she can be that full of herself when she's only, how tall is she now? About one meter seven?

I decided that if Opal comes anywhere near my family one more time, I will end it the easy way. I am Artemis Fowl. The easy way out is usually the hard option but it has turned, now to one of two.

Fight until one of you dies, or kill yourself, so that there's no need.

And I had made that oath two moths ago, and now I am carrying it out.

She blasted Myles! Opal Koboi knocked my four year old brother out. Why, you may ask? I have no idea, maybe because I have been trying to lock her up for nearly five years, but I am going to handicap her and then myself, not out of insanity, I am perfectly stable. Now anyway. I am doing this drastic act for two reasons. Reason one, she will leave my family alone, if there's no me, then there's no need to hunt me, and so she will say the hell away from my family. Reason two. Reason two is deeper and slightly more selfish.

My family have seen my through _most _of my years, and the most recent ones have only caused pain and despair. I know that if I finally die, that there will be one huge bout of sorrow that will end it all. Finally. There will be no more pain.

I told Holly. She doesn't think I have it in me. I will prove her wrong.

I run, she follows, calling my name desperately. Oddly, I win the race to the end, give her one last look before I launch myself off the edge.

I fly.

I am wondering what I should be thinking about, before I hit the ground and my brains come out of my ears and what not.

First, I think of Butler, goodbye, my good friend. You have saved my from death so many times, now I save you the pain of having to worry about me all the time.

Mother, I love you. All you have ever done is try to keep me safe as well as you can and you have done a better job than most people could in your position. But for goodness sake, please tell Beckett and Myles the truth. None of that 'gone to sleep' nonsense. They are smart enough to know that you are lying. May as well give it to them like it is. It makes it easier, not harder like some people think.

Foaly, you genius! Keep inventing!

Mulch, you disgusting imbecile, keep digging, eating, stealing. Whatever you do in your free time.

Trouble, I know you hated me, but please do not be overjoyed at my passing.

Holly. My good friend. That is all you are. A good friend to me. You are cherished and loved, but not in that way. I hope that you do not think differently, and if you do, why didn't you say anything? I love you as my greatest friend. Our relationship is no longer grudging respect.

Falling is the most wonderful feeling. But it is demonised by the prospect of hitting the ground.

'**I'm not scared to jump, I'm not scared to fall. If there was nowhere to land, I wouldn't be scared at all.' **

**There's the ending. Tell me if you want it to be longer. But if you do you have to give good reason. **


End file.
